'Pure American' billboard sparks controversy

Gun control activists want a billboard hovering over the Stevenson Expressway taken down.

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'Pure American' billboard

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'Pure American' billboard sparks controversy

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"I was insulted, angry when I saw it," Father Michael Pfleger said.

The sign can be seen on eastbound Interstate 55 near Central Avenue.

It features a baseball mitt, an apple pie and an assault rifle, all above the words "Pure American."

Father Pfleger, pastor for St. Sabina on the south side, is too familiar with how gun violence consumes his south side community. He's been working years to beat the statistics and has marched tirelessly in the streets to be heard. This billboard, paid for by Slide Fire, a TEXAS firearms parts manufacturer, doesn't help his cause, he says.

According to the Chicago Tribune, the group called Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America says it's exposing children to a harmful message.

The billboard company, Lamar Advertising, says the rifle company has a First Amendment right to advertise.